'The truth of life'

Tomas Ovalle's dramatic front page photo in the Feb. 8 Bee, which drove the tragedy of the Escalante girls into a city's gut, was a horrific shot. The image was the kind that a photographer loves to take, yet at the same time the sort that a journalist hates to take.

Journalism must deal with the truth of life, both in fact and in emotion. The photo superbly qualifies. And for the one letter writer who wondered if Mr. Ovalle is a father, the answer to that is yes, and a good one.